Energy converting device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an energy converting device, particularly for converting mechanical to hydraulic energy, and therefrom into electrical energy, using as an energy transport medium a control fluid guided in two different control circuits having an operative connection to each other by means of a coupling device ( 32 ), wherein the one control circuit ( 28 ) serves for feeding in energy, particularly in the form of mechanical energy, and the other control circuit serves for discharging energy in the form of converted energy, particularly electrical energy.

The invention relates to an energy converting device, especially for conversion of mechanical into hydraulic energy and from the latter into electrical energy.

Renewable energy resources also include the energy of ocean waves, whose energy potential could cover what is estimated to be roughly 15% of worldwide power demand. Ocean waves inherently constitute a type of ocean movement which is less regular in terms of time and space, but no less energy-rich, such as, for example, the known motion of the tidal range.

The technical implementation for obtaining the energy which results therefrom can be based on different principles. One possible implementation principle is based on a dual-mass system which floats in water, the two masses which are used, as a result of the natural frequencies which are distinctly different from one another, having different relative motions with respect to one another due to wave motion. These relative motions of the masses with respect to one another can be converted into pump motions of working cylinders, such as hydraulic cylinders, in order to then obtain in this manner, for example, by way of a generator, electrical energy, which the hydraulic energy converts into usable current by the working cylinder, caused by mechanical energy in the form of wave motion.

DE 601 15 509 T2 discloses a pertinent, so-called point-absorbing wave energy converting device for obtaining energy from wave motion on the surface of a body of liquid and with dimensions which are small compared to the wavelength of the predominant wave. The known solution has two devices which can move in relative terms opposite one another as two movable individual masses, with the first device having a float and the second device having a submerged body underneath the surface of the body of liquid. Furthermore, between these two mass devices there are hydraulic working cylinders which execute lifting motions for energy transfer from mechanical into electrical energy due to the relative motion of the individual masses with respect to one another, caused by the wave motion.

In these dual-mass systems which float in water, there is often a time offset between the wave motion and the guided motion of at least one of the masses of the dual-mass system, with the result that mass motion can be stopped or at least decelerated; this is, for example, the case when the amplitude of the wave after passing through the wave trough rises again, while at least one of the two masses following in time is still in downward motion in the direction of the wave trough and then is slowed down or even stopped in this motion by the already rising wave. The described energy conversion is adversely affected or even stopped by this “retarding moment.” In order to counteract these failure phenomena, PCT-WO 2005/069824 A2 describes an energy converting device which makes it possible, with inclusion of the corresponding sensor technology, to briefly switch over a generator for current generation, caused by the wave motion, and a corresponding mechanical converter segment in the form of a rack and pinion drive, into motor operation, such that at least some of the energy obtained beforehand can be used again in order to drive a mass which has been set in the direction of standstill dictated by the wave motion, such that the indicated dead point phases are overcome. Depending on the actual circumstances of the wave motion, the energy converting device can then be used either as a generator in the energy recovery mode or in motor operation as a driving control force for the respective mass of the energy converting device, in order in this way to ensure a basic situation of motion from which the mass can be moved more easily by the wave than if it assumes a decelerated state or even a rest state. In spite of the energy yield which is improved in this way, however, for driving the mass out of the respective wave dead point zone, energy is lost again in the motor operation of the device; overall, this reduces the possible energy yield.

The magnitude, height, and frequency of wave motion are highly variable, as are the absolute values of the magnitudes of motion as well as the pertinent relative value of the body excited by it in the form of the individual movable masses. Due to the variable behavior of the wave motion it has been shown in practice that the conversion of the mechanical energy associated with it into electrical energy poses problems, in the sense that uniform current delivery is not achieved and/or that as a result of feedback processes the “mechanical wave machine” is stopped by the respective working cylinders being stopped or at least greatly decelerated in their motion.

Proceeding from this prior art, the object of the invention is to devise an energy converting device which is almost free of feedback and which can convert different forms of energy into one another with very good yield. This object is achieved by an energy converting device having the features of claim 1 in its entirety.

The energy converting device according to the invention uses as the energy transport medium a control fluid which is routed in two different control circuits which are dynamically connected to one another for energy transfer by means of a coupling device, the one control circuit being used for energy supply, especially in the form of mechanical energy, and the other control circuit being used for energy delivery in the form of converted energy, specifically electrical energy. By division into two different control circuits the coupling device located in between can be operated with the result that energy feed in one control circuit is separated from energy delivery in the other control circuit, at least to the extent that in their operation they do not mutually disrupt one another, with the result that adverse feedback effects, particularly in the direction of energy feed for the converting device, are reliably avoided.

It is surprising for one with average skill in the art in the field of energy conversion that, in spite of using a coupling device which requires for its operation some of the energy which is to be converted, he arrives at improved energy transmission results in conversion. In particular, improved uniform delivery of electrical energy to the connected consumers even in the form of battery ampere-hour capacities is also achieved. The converting device can moreover be economically implemented with its components, and it is reliable in use.

The energy converting device according to the invention need not be limited to use in wave energy systems, but rather a host of possible applications is conceivable here, for example, in the field of wind power plants, in which mechanical rotor motions are to be converted into electrical current, with comparable problems as indicated above. The energy conversion chain can also be reversed in the sense that, for example, basic electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy without feedback using hydraulic energy as the intermediate medium.

In one preferred embodiment of the energy converting device according to the invention, it is provided that the coupling device has a hydraulic motor which, connected to one control circuit by means of a gear connection with a definable transmission ratio, which can even be 1:1, drives a first hydraulic pump with a variable stroke volume, which pump is connected to the other control circuit. As a result of the variable stroke volume of the indicated hydraulic pump, said pump is driven by the hydraulic motor only to the extent that, caused by the wave energy, the control fluid as an energy transport medium in this case can also deliver energy; i.e., the energy-delivering control circuit is adjusted in terms of its output performance according to the wave-mass model. In a corresponding manner, in one preferred embodiment, energy delivery and energy transport in the second control circuit are then controlled by a hydraulic motor with a triggerable, variable stroke volume.

Other advantageous embodiments of the energy converting device according to the invention are the subject matter of the other dependent claims.

The energy converting device according to the invention is detailed below using one exemplary embodiment as shown in the drawings. The figures are schematic and not to scale.

FIG. 1 shows the fundamental structure of a converting unit for converting mechanical wave energy into hydraulic energy;

FIG. 2 shows in the manner of a work diagram the respective work capacity of the converting device as shown in FIG. 1, plotted by way of a force-path diagram;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show in the manner of a hydraulic circuit diagram the overall design of the energy converting device including the converting unit as shown in FIG. 1, which design is divided along an imaginary intersection line S-S into two component figures with different scales.

The converting unit, designated as a whole as 10 in FIG. 1, is made in the form of a floating buoy and, in addition to a so-called post float (12), has a toroidal or ring float 14. As a result of different natural frequencies, depending on the excitation, the two bodies execute relative motion. The different mass motion which accompanies different wave motion is relayed to a displacer device 18, which consists of individual hydraulic working cylinders 19 which are connected on their piston side to the post float 12 and on their rod side to the ring float 14. This converting unit, which is designated as a whole as 10, is shown by way of example in FIG. 3 in the manner of a control diagram as a spring-mass oscillator with the corresponding cushioning element, wave passage being detected by way of example according to path (x-wave) and speed (v-wave) as a cumulative input signal in a symbolically depicted block diagram 20.

As a result of the different motions of the post float 12 with respect to the ring float 14, for the displacer device 18 a pumping motion of the individual hydraulic working cylinders 19 occurs, and the hydraulic energy obtained thereby can in principle be supplied to a hydraulic motor which thereupon could directly drive a generator for producing electrical energy; this, however, leads to the aforementioned feedback and stability problems. Fundamentally, the following formula relationships apply:

Energy: W=∫F·ds

Power: dW/dt=F·ν

dW/dt=p·A·ν

On the one hand, the force F of a cylinder 19 is proportional to the pressure p which acts on its piston surface and which is produced by the load resulting from the opposite relative motion between the post float 12 and the ring float 14, and, on the other hand, the power which can be obtained from the wave energy by the opposite relative motions of the masses M1 and M2 depends on various factors, particularly on the energy content of the partners involved, and the determining factors are given here by the selected mass and the individual speeds achieved. If, for example, the actuating pistons of the individual cylinders 19 can be pumped almost without force, then as shown in FIG. 2, a maximum stroke is produced, but the pressure which can be generated is almost zero, and thus also the power and the energy which can be obtained therefrom are close to zero. This curve characteristic is designated as 22 in FIG. 2. The pressure is maximum due to the very high or excessive force, but cylinder motion in itself is blocked; i.e., the desired relative motion approaches zero, and likewise the energy which can be produced with it is also close to zero. This situation is qualitatively designated as 24 in the diagram as a curve characteristic, as shown in FIG. 2.

The maximum possible energy recovery therefore lies between these two extremes, i.e., at an average force on the piston of the cylinder 19 which allows a sufficiently large relative stroke, this average force which only moderately reduces the motion not being constant, but rather arising as a function of relative velocity when the energy content of the wave is to be used in a manner as optimally as possible. The effect of this is that the force, like the relative velocity, must change during a stroke, with the pertinently optimum energy curve 26 being produced as an average between the extreme curves 22 and 24 (cf. FIG. 2). As a result of this actual wave model, meaningful energy withdrawal in the form of electrical energy using a hydraulic motor which is connected directly to the control circuit in addition to a generator would hardly make sense and in the manner of feedback or a reaction could lead to shutdown of the wave energy receiving device in the form of the converting unit 10. The control devices detailed below are designed to be used to essentially ensure the pertinently optimized energy curve 26 in the operation of the converting device.

At this point, the energy converting device will be detailed below using the circuit diagram as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIGS. 3 and 4 along the intersection line S-S and the two nodal points combined show the converting device as a whole, and division into the two figures with the different scales was done for the sake of improved representation. As already described, the energy converting device in this exemplary embodiment is used for conversion of mechanical wave energy into hydraulic energy and from the latter into electrical energy. The energy transport medium is a control fluid, especially in the form of a control oil or hydraulic oil. This control fluid is routed in two different control circuits 28, 30 with FIG. 3 being used essentially to show the control circuit 28 and FIG. 4 to show the control circuit 30.

The two control circuits 28, 30 are dynamically connected to one another specifically by way of a coupling device 32 which is used for energy transfer. Here one control circuit 28 is used for energy supply, especially in the form of mechanical wave energy, and the other control circuit 30 is used to deliver energy in the form of electrical energy which is obtained from the hydraulic energy. The coupling device 32 has a hydraulic motor 34 which is connected to the first control circuit 28 to carry fluid, and, as shown in FIG. 3, the hydraulic motor 34 is located on the opposite side of the control circuit 28 relative to the converting unit 10. The hydraulic motor 34 is furthermore connected to a first hydraulic pump 38 by way of a conventional gear connection 36 with a definable transmission ratio; the pump has an adjustable, variable stroke volume, as shown in FIG. 3. The gear connection 36 is not, however, critically necessary for the operation of the solution according to the invention. The pertinent hydraulic pump 38 is connected to the other control circuit 30 to carry fluid and in this respect circulates the control fluid of the second control circuit 30.

As already described, to feed energy into a first control circuit 28 a first converting unit 10 is used which converts the mechanical wave energy into hydraulic energy by the first converting unit 10 actuating the displacer device 18 with the individual hydraulic working cylinders 19, the respective working cylinders 19, depending on the direction of motion, pumping the fluid in the control circuit 28 back and forth in opposite directions. The control fluid of the first control circuit 28 is therefore supplied by means of the displacer device 18 in opposite directions to the component circuits 40, 42 of the first control circuit 28. To the extent that the component circuits 40, 42 are addressed here, they also relate to the respective component fluid guidance upstream of a Graetz circuit 44 which is shown below. The volume of the respective working cylinder 19 which has been displaced, by analogy to electrical engineering, is rectified by means of the Graetz circuit 44 as a rectifier circuit, with the Graetz circuit being implemented by means of four spring-loaded nonreturn valves 46 as shown in FIG. 3.

Furthermore, viewed in the direction of looking at FIG. 3, for the upper component circuit 40 there is a conventional hydraulic accumulator 47 which is used to compensate for leaks and/or cavitation phenomena and, like the Graetz circuit 44, it is protected by a pressure limitation valve 48 relative to the lower component circuit 42. With respect to the Graetz circuit 44, it is at least ensured that the hydraulic motor 34 is driven only in one direction, and said motor enables hydraulic power delivery from the first control circuit 28 to the second control circuit 30 by way of the gearing 36. Altogether the gearing 36 is made in the manner of a hydrostatic transmission, and in order to trigger the hydraulic pump 38 from 0% to 100% delivery volume amount, a first control 50 is used which in this respect is used for optimum power removal of the wave energy from the first converting unit 10.

The regulator 52 used in this respect is provided with a saturation curve and adjusts the Δp_(actual) value to a definable Δp_(setpoint) value, the Δp_(actual) value resulting from the difference of the pressures in the component circuits 40, 42 of the first control circuit 28 and the Δp_(setpoint) value following from the Δv value which represents the resulting, changing velocity difference with respect to the relative motion of the masses M1 and M2 of the post float 12 and the ring float 14. It would be possible to include other, sensor-detected characteristics of the converting unit 10 into the control here, such as the distance traversed x or the force applied F, etc. With the illustrated control, however, the mechanical wave energy present at the time is always optimally converted into hydraulic drive energy for the second control circuit 30. Based on ambient conditions a closed system was preferably used here; in a so-called open system also only one pressure sensor P of the hydraulic first control circuit 28 is sufficient to accordingly arrive at an input quantity for the first control 50.

For energy delivery from the other, second control circuit 30, a second converting unit, designated as a whole as 54 in FIG. 4, is used; it converts hydraulic energy into electrical energy. For this purpose the second converting unit 54 has another displacement device in the form of a hydraulic motor 56, which drives the generator 58 to produce electrical energy. For this conversion of hydraulic energy into electrical energy, a second control device 60 which is made in the manner of a slip control ensures optimum power delivery to the electrical network. In particular, the output of the second control device 60 is connected to the hydraulic motor 56 such that its stroke volume can be varied in a controlling manner. The regulator 62 of the second control unit 60 is a so-called PID-regulator with a connected saturation curve. To implement the indicated slip control, among other things the reference quantity is the torque (T) of the generator 68 and its shaft rpm w. With the indicated slip control it is possible to keep the electrical output power of the generator 68 at an optimum output point regardless of the actual power input quantity with respect to the power output of the hydraulic pump 38 with a variable stroke volume. To implement the variable stroke volume of the hydraulic pump 38 and hydraulic motor 56, an inclined cam plate is conventionally used whose effective degree of tilt can be stipulated by the respective control device.

In one especially preferred embodiment, this slip control as shown in FIG. 4 is superimposed by so-called feed-forward control 64 of the hydraulically available power which as the input value picks up by means of two pressure sensors P the pressure difference Δp in the component circuits of the second control circuit 30 upstream and downstream of the hydraulic pump 56, which acts in both actuating directions. This pressure difference Δp is used as an indicator for the available hydraulic energy relative to the second control circuit 30. The hydraulic motor 56 and the generator 58 are designed for a specific maximum flow rate, which is ultimately dictated by the hydraulic working cylinders 19 of the first displacer device 18. Otherwise, a system which is made open would also be possible for the two circuits.

If the flow rate decreases, for example as a result of smaller wave motion on the first converting unit 10, to this same extent the control pressure in the second control circuit 30 will also decrease. This driving pressure for the hydraulic motor 56 can then drop to low values such that cavitation occurs, which can lead to shutdown of the entire energy converting device in a reaction. In order to manage this problem, the indicated slip control is superimposed by the above-indicated feed-forward control 64 with the result that, provided the flow rate falls back, the hydraulic motor 56 is triggered such that it also requires only a smaller flow rate, with the result that then the output power for the generator 68 decreases, but without shutdown phenomena of the entire converting device occurring. In this case the control 60, 64 therefore allows setting of the electrical output power of the generator 68 for the most varied wave amplitudes relative to the input side in the form of the first converting unit 10.

The second control circuit 30 can also be provided with a hydraulic accumulator unit 66 for purposes of storing hydraulic energy, and in addition the second control circuit 30 is also protected by way of a pressure limitation valve 68; the illustrated nonreturn valves 70 of the second circuit are used to ensure that vibrations of the hydraulic circuit cannot occur or that backflow in the wrong direction for the control fluid of the second circuit 30 does not accidentally occur.

The solution according to the invention need not be limited to use in wave energy systems, but can also be used, for example, for other energy systems, such as wind power plants and the like. Thus, for example, a hydraulic working pump, which is not detailed, can convert the mechanical energy of the output shaft of a wind power plant accordingly into hydraulic energy of the first control circuit 28 and in this case replace the described hydraulic working cylinder 19. It would also be possible to make available mechanical energy on the first converting unit 10 with as little loss as possible in the reverse direction to the one shown in FIG. 4 proceeding from the second electrical converting unit 54 in the reverse direction.

The above-described exemplary embodiment of an energy converting device fundamentally manages even without a Graetz circuit. In this case, however, the hydraulic pump used can be swiveled in both directions; it then undertakes rectification, and absolute-value generation in the regulator is eliminated. Instead of the sensor information of the relative speed, a volumetric flow sensor in the control circuit 28 or the rotary speed (tachogenerator) of the hydraulic motor 34 can also be analogously used. This has the advantage that the sensor is not exposed to rough ambient conditions.

As already described, for the sake of simplicity FIGS. 3 and 4 show only the open system with a tank. By replacing the tank with another accumulator (not shown) a closed system can be created which is especially advantageous for rough ambient conditions. Here the accumulator in FIG. 3 can be connected to the second component circuit 42 instead of the illustrated tank in the region of reference number 44, and the corresponding hydraulic accumulator in FIG. 4 would be used instead of the tank shown there between the nonreturn valves 70 and the pressure limitation valve 68. 

1. An energy converting device, especially for conversion of mechanical into hydraulic energy and from the latter into electrical energy, which uses as an energy transport medium a control fluid which is routed in two different control circuits (28, 30), which are dynamically connected to one another for energy transfer by a coupling device (32), and that one control circuit (28) is used for energy supply, especially in the form of mechanical energy, and the other control circuit (30) is used for energy delivery in the form of converted energy, specifically electrical energy.
 2. The energy converting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling device (32) has a hydraulic motor (34) which, connected to one control circuit (28), drives a hydraulic pump (38), preferably with a variable stroke volume, which pump is connected to the other control circuit (30).
 3. The energy converting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, for energy supply to one control circuit (28), a first converting unit (10) is used which converts the mechanical energy into hydraulic energy.
 4. The energy converting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the first converting unit (10) has a displacer device (18), especially in the form of at least one drivable working pump or in the form of at least one actuatable hydraulic working cylinder (19).
 5. The energy converting device according to claim 4, characterized in that the control fluid can be supplied by means of the displacer device (18) in opposite directions to two component circuits (40, 42) of one control circuit (28).
 6. The energy converting device according to claim 5, characterized in that, for rectification of the control fluid which is fed in opposite directions to one control circuit (28) by way of its component circuits (40, 42) by means of the displacer device (18), a rectifier circuit is used, preferably in the form of a Graetz circuit (44), which is implemented by means of nonreturn valves (46).
 7. The energy converting device according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, with the inclusion of control quantities (Δp_(actual)) of one control circuit (28) and of a mechanical reference system (v) which delivers mechanical energy to the first converting unit (10), a first control unit (50) is used for triggering the variable stroke volume of the hydraulic pump (38) of the other control circuit (30).
 8. The energy converting device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that for energy delivery from the other control circuit (30), a second converting unit (54) is used which converts hydraulic into electrical energy.
 9. The energy converting device according to claim 8, characterized in that the second converting unit (54) has another displacer device, especially in the form of at least one hydraulic motor (56) which drives a generator (58) for producing electrical energy.
 10. The energy converting device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that a second control unit (60) is used for triggering the variable stroke volume of the hydraulic motor (56) in the other control circuit (30), with the inclusion of control quantities (Δp_(actual)) of the other control circuit (30) and of an electrical reference system (T, w) which withdraws electrical energy from the second converting unit (54) as part thereof.
 1. An energy converting device, especially for conversion of mechanical into hydraulic energy and from the latter into electrical energy, which uses as an energy transport medium a control fluid which is routed in two different control circuits (28, 30), which are dynamically connected to one another for energy transfer by a coupling device (32), and that one control circuit (28) is used for energy supply, especially in the form of mechanical energy, and the other control circuit (30) is used for energy delivery in the form of converted energy, specifically electrical energy.
 2. The energy converting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling device (32) has a hydraulic motor (34) which, connected to one control circuit (28), drives a hydraulic pump (38), preferably with a variable stroke volume, which pump is connected to the other control circuit (30).
 3. The energy converting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, for energy supply to one control circuit (28), a first converting unit (10) is used which converts the mechanical energy into hydraulic energy.
 4. The energy converting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the first converting unit (10) has a displacer device (18), especially in the form of at least one drivable working pump or in the form of at least one actuatable hydraulic working cylinder (19).
 5. The energy converting device according to claim 4, characterized in that the control fluid can be supplied by means of the displacer device (18) in opposite directions to two component circuits (40, 42) of one control circuit (28).
 6. The energy converting device according to claim 5, characterized in that, for rectification of the control fluid which is fed in opposite directions to one control circuit (28) by way of its component circuits (40, 42) by means of the displacer device (18), a rectifier circuit is used, preferably in the form of a Graetz circuit (44), which is implemented by means of nonreturn valves (46).
 7. The energy converting device according to claim 3, characterized in that, with the inclusion of control quantities (Δp_(actual)) of one control circuit (28) and of a mechanical reference system (v) which delivers mechanical energy to the first converting unit (10), a first control unit (50) is used for triggering the variable stroke volume of the hydraulic pump (38) of the other control circuit (30).
 8. The energy converting device according to claim 1, characterized in that for energy delivery from the other control circuit (30), a second converting unit (54) is used which converts hydraulic into electrical energy.
 9. The energy converting device according to claim 8, characterized in that the second converting unit (54) has another displacer device, especially in the form of at least one hydraulic motor (56) which drives a generator (58) for producing electrical energy.
 10. The energy converting device according to claim 8, characterized in that a second control unit (60) is used for triggering the variable stroke volume of the hydraulic motor (56) in the other control circuit (30), with the inclusion of control quantities (Δp_(actual)) of the other control circuit (30) and of an electrical reference system (T, w) which withdraws electrical energy from the second converting unit (54) as part thereof. 